AN ASSESSMENT OF ECOWAS PROTOCOL ON FREE MOVEMENT, RESIDENCE AND ESTABLISHMENT OF WEST AFRICAN CITIZENS

The treaty establishing the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) was signed in Lagos on the 28th of May 1975. Article 27 objective of the treaty is to establish a borderless region and a common citizenship in West Africa. A key objective of the treaty is to remove obstacles affecting the protocol on free movement of persons, residence and establishment in the sub-region. This study seeks to identify the obstacles hindering the full implementation of the protocol. Furthermore it also seeks to find out how ECOWAS has been able to mitigate these obstacles. In order to achieve the objectives of this study, descriptive analysis was employed and data was largely drawn from primary and secondary sources. The study adopted the Neo- functionalism theory to analysis ECOWAS protocol on free movement, residence and establishment of West African citizens. Findings shows that cultural and language barrier, lack of education, foreign policy of member states, inadequate funding, colonial heritage and historical antecedent economic condition of member states and threats to national security, such as: that illicit drug trafficking, money laundering, violent crimes, internet fraud, human trafficking, terrorism, and the proliferation of Small Arms and Light weapons, are the major factors hindering ECOWAS protocol on free movement, residence and establishment from achieving it goals and objectives. It therefore recommends among other measures, that states need to work together as a team for the ECOWAS protocol on free movement, residence and establishment to be fully implemented in West Africa

AN ASSESSMENT OF NIGERIA-INDIA BILATERAL RELATIONS IN THE AGRICULTURAL SECTOR

The bilateral relationship between Nigeria and India is employed for the pursuit of both countries national interest. In order to achieve this national interest the structure to the relationship is to be careful reviewed. The study examines the bilateral relation between Nigeria and India in the agricultural sector, it looks at strategies to which Nigeria can employ to develop its agricultural sector from its relationship with India. To accomplish the set out objectives of the study secondary literatures where reviewed extensively. The results showed that there is little Indian agricultural investments in Nigeria. Findings from the reviewed studies also showed that Nigeria needs to learn from the structure of India’s agricultural sector, it further showed that little researches have been carried out in the area of Nigeria and India’s bilateral relations especially in the agricultural sector. Based on the findings, it is recommended that more researches should be done on this field. There is need for Nigeria to adopt India’s agricultural practise to advance her development

THE EFFECT OF PAY AND ADMINISTRATIVE CONTROL ON ETHICAL BEHAVIOUR IN THE NIGERIAN PUBLIC SERVICE

This study investigates the eff ects of pay vis-à-vis elements of the ethics infrastructure that contribute to eff ective administrative control; and to unethical practices in the Nigerian public service. Based on critical analysis of primary offi cial and secondary data, the study reveals that corruption and fi nancial impropriety are far more common and intense among higher public offi cials who, incidentally, are better remunerated, than among the lower cadre offi cials, who are poorly remunerated. Th e study shows that despite the emphasis on the compliance or sanction approach to administrative ethics rather than the virtue approach, there is still wide incongruence between the ethical approach adopted and the expected results. Th is is because of the existence of a weak political and administrative control system at the higher administrative functions. The study suggests that reducing unethical practices should aim at improvingopenness and transparency at the high level through more citizen involvement and civil society action, reviewing the criminal justice system to ensure severe punishment that can serve the purpose of deterrence and prevention, speedy dispatch of corruption cases and strengthening of oversight linkages between the public institutions and ethics coordinating institutions

Information, public policy analysis and sustainable development in Nigeria

Information and public policy analysis are critical factors in adequate public policy formulation, implementation and evaluation if the public good is to be achieved in Nigeria. This paper has carried out a critical examination of the interface between information and the public policy process and the effect on public policy analysis and has found that there is a crucial interrelationship among them in order to promote sustainable development. The paper found that the interrelationship is however, seriously interfered with or obstructed by a variety of dominant constraints. The constraints include inadequate human capital, financial resources, large-scale secrecy in government business, inadequate incentives to statisticians and grand corruption in many, if not all, public organizations in Nigeria. They promote negative effects, including unreliable data and information, inadequate public policy analysis by analysts, and more importantly inadequate public policy outcome or impact. The paper also found a rather self-imposed constraint by some public policy analysts who obviously colour their analysis by getting involved in prescriptive public policies. The paper proffers recommendations such as provision of adequate training and retaining for statisticians, formation of a virile statistical association for statisticians, provision of incentives for statisticians, honesty in the application of information by analysts and reduction in the level of secrecy imposed on governmental information. Finally, it is recommended that policy analysts should restrict themselves to objective description and explanatory analysis of public policy rather than prescription. Global Journal of Social Sciences Vol. 6 (1) 2007: pp. 65-7